Moving out- From Cot to Bed!

Saturday, August 03, 2013

Moving from cot bed to a ‘big bed’ can
be quite daunting for a little one. I hope Alice will take to it well and expect
she’ll probably start to spend most of the night getting up and playing with
her toys – that’s what I’d do! For a lot of children it can be a little bit
scary; all that open space. Let’s be
honest though, it’s us, (the parents) who are worried about removing the cot
rails; what if they fall out of bed? Thinking about it realistically we know
that there aren’t many adults out there who still suffer with sleepless night
because they constantly roll, fall, or crash out of bed. Fears of your little
one rolling out of bed can easily be solved with something cheap and simple
like a bed rail.

The unknown is something that most people feel a little
uncomfortable with, but when you’ve only been exploring the planet for 18
months, obviously the amount of ‘unknown’ is significantly greater and,
equally, scarier. There is no way to completely remove these fears and
anxieties, but you can take little steps to make the unknown a little more
familiar.

If the cot is in the left-hand corner of the room then that’s where the bed
should be. If your little one has a
favourite blanket, or one you always put in their cot, then that should be in
the bed too. Try and attach any cot toys
or teddies to the headboard. You could buy that cheap glow in the dark stars
and planets and put them on the ceiling or wall near the cot; and then as they
move to their new bed they will still have the gentle glow of stars around
them. All these things may help to make the change to a bed a little more
familiar. There are loads of ideas and recommendations out there, the key is
finding one (or a few) that you like and you think will actually help your
little one.

What if they keep getting out of bed and waking me up, or
sneaking into my bed? It is quite likely that your little one may take their
new freedom and, well enjoy it. If you are worried about them walking around at
night a safety gate is ideal. There are three key places to put a safety gate
when trying to sort out a wandering issue.

1.Put the safety gat in their doorway – they will
be safe and secure in their room and won’t be able to sneak under your covers!

2.Put the safety gate at the top of the stairs –
stairs are a big worry and putting a safety gate there is an obviously good
idea.

3.Put the safety gate in your doorway – knowing
that your little one can walk to your door and see you are there may be enough
comfort for them to return to bed and get some sleep.

Obviously you can use two, or all, of the ideas for a super
safe bedtime. It is all about what you (the person who knows your child’s needs
best) feel comfortable with.

Bambino Direct
has a large range of products for your nursery and to help you through every
stage of your little one’s development.

Going back to the
cot.

There is the possibility that you may have to return to the
cot if things really don’t work out. If you decide to do this, make the
transition back to cot a fun and exciting step. Maybe spend time with your
little one decorating some bunting or posters for around the cot? You don’t
want them to see the move back to a cot as a failing on their part and you
don’t want them to feel like they aren’t “grown-up enough.” As well as ensuring
that you child is happy and doesn’t feel bad about returning to their cot, you
need to make sure that you don’t feel bad either. You did everything you could
and it just wasn’t time yet; you didn’t fail at moving them into a bed. Imagine
buying a new phone, but not liking it or not feeling you need the technology it
offers yet; you simply swap back to your old phone until you fancy using the
new on – that’s all that’s happening for your little one!

Comments

We moved rio into his toddler bed when he turned one..he could climb out of his cot on the lowest hole so it was no longer safe. We put a spare cot matress or lots of pillows down and so far although he hangs daringly close to the edge in the night hes never really 'fell out'..its adorable to watch him jump into bed when you say 'go nan nights'.